The future of AI in WFM

In part one of this blog series, we revealed that AI can really be translated as “augmented intelligence” in the world of WFM. Contact center teams can leverage AI to make sense of the workforce and customer base to make more informed decisions. AI is an ally, not a replacement.

Part two of our series showcased what AI tools are readily available today, spotlighting features in forecasting, scheduling, and change management.

So, where do we go from here? What does the future hold for WFM and augmented intelligence?

As CXone WFM continues to mature, NICE sees a tremendous opportunity to shift the market in expectations around workforce management solutions. We see a future where CXone WFM provides the tools to make high-quality decisions from a single source of truth. We see two key AI impact areas emerging:

Easing manager workload: A critical impact of AI will be the real-time management of contact centers. The ability of AI to suggest improvements while taking agent preferences into account will minimize managerial workload. This will mean reduced mental effort required by managers and more time to focus on what truly matters. By automating complex tasks and providing data-driven insights, AI will enable managers to focus on strategic decision-making rather than being bogged down in day-to-day operations.

Precision scheduling: AI will also continue to enhance scheduling, supporting managers in making more precise staffing plans. By calibrating the workload an individual agent can handle at any moment, forecasts and staffing levels can be adjusted to accurately represent the ideal number of staff for a mixed-work setting.

Cognitive load: Intuitively, you may assume AI will reduce cognitive load for the team at large. And in some cases, this may be true—AI can take over menial tasks and give managers and agents more brain space to focus on creative and critical thinking. Yet, depending on the tasks you’re assigning, you risk oversaturating agents and pushing them beyond their optimal threshold. In fact, in a recent survey conducted by Simpler Media Group in partnership with NICE, 1 in 5 employees reported that a high workload and stress is a driving factor for leaving their job. AI has a potential answer for this, too. Using ML modeling, AI can assess the impact of specific tasks and skills on individual employees. Based on skillset, previously assigned tasks, ability to multitask and more, agent workloads can be appropriately managed, and you can avoid overloading individual team members.

This is just a small sampling of ways AI will support WFM in the future. The foundation has already been laid, and major strides are underway to get us there. Remember, augmented intelligence is a support, not a means to phase out the human members of your team. The future will bring new opportunities to create work life balance, support agents, and improve operations.